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UAE sends aid convoy to liberated areas in Yemen's Hodeidah

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The Emirates Red Crescent dispatched an aid convoy carrying 10,000 food baskets from Yemen’s city of Aden to areas in the Al Hodeidah province that have been liberated from the Houthi rebels.

The convoy, which has other essential supplies, will help 70,000 civilians in the port city, reported UAE’s Wam news agency on Saturday.

The latest Red Crescent aid is part of the UAE’s efforts to help ease the suffering of the Yemeni people, said Wam. The report added that the ERC intends to send more aid convoys to the areas that are no longer under Houthi control.

On Friday, the UAE said it was sending 10 ships and three aircraft carrying aid to Al Hodeidah following instructions of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander the UAE Armed Forces.

The ERC aid corridor will see the 10 UAE vessels carry 13,500 tonnes of foodstuffs as an accompanying emergency aid airlift gets underway with three flights carrying 10,436 food parcels.

“The first aid ship will transport 500 tonnes of rice and flour, while the second ship will deliver 1,000 tonnes of various foodstuffs. Four other vessels will provide 3,000 tonnes of foodstuffs each,” reported Wam.

UAE aid to Yemen between April 2015 and May 2018 reached Dh13.85 billion.

The UAE has also pledged $500 million to support the UN Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen in 2018, of which so far has committed 93 per cent of the pledged amount.

More than 22 million people in Yemen are in need of aid — 8.4 million of whom are on the brink of starvation — according to the UN.

The conflict has left nearly 10,000 people dead in the country that is already the Arab world's poorest nation.